Serve The Song

Aaron Marks is a professional game composer and author of The Complete Guide to Game Audio, Second Edition: For Composers, Musicians, Sound Designers, Game Developers (Gama Network Series). Aaron’s music can be heard on dozens of game titles, including  the ESPN MSL Extra Time Playstation 2 soccer title and online casino/arcade game sound effects and music for several Universal/Vivendi casino websites . His most recent project is music and sound effects for the game bittosHD for Xbox, PS3 and iPhone/iPad. In the following two-part interview, Aaron shares his insights on the current state of the game industry and how songwriters can break into the action. Learn more about Aaron Marks at On Your Mark Music.

How did you get your start in music?

I came from a musical family and was ‘encouraged’ at a young age to play a respectable instrument like the organ… so, in retaliation, I learned the guitar instead! And because any protest should be enthusiastic, I took advantage of my brother’s set and learned the drums too. During my college years, I added piano and bass guitar to the repertoire and eventually moved into engineering and recording. For many years, I was quite content dabbling in different musical styles, learning everything I could about music, composing and recording with no particular direction. I considered scoring for film or television but didn’t really think about it seriously. Essentially it was an overgrown hobby and I was content just doing it for myself.

What made you decide to focus on music for games?

As we all know, ‘gear lust’ is expensive and my little hobby was no exception. It took an ultimatum from my wife to finally stop the insanity, start making some money and have the hobby support itself. I had always wanted to compose for television and film so I headed off in that direction. Along the way I worked in radio, public service announcements and pretty much any ‘music’ job I could find to gain the experience and earn some income.

It actually took a chance meeting with a neighbor to redirect my efforts into games, since it was something I had never really considered on my own. He had just started his own game development company, and coincidentally, had just let his audio guy go. We got to talking and next thing I know I was composing for my first game – it was literally 2 days from the first meeting to working on the first track!

When did you compose your first game soundtrack?

“I, of the Enemy” was the first game I started working on in 1996 for an independent developer. Smaller companies typically have a much slower development cycle, so it wasn’t until 2001 that I wrapped up my efforts and the game was released. Now, that’s not to say that I took 5 straight years to compose the music but I did have plenty of time to get it the way I wanted it. I was also doing sound effects and recording and editing the extensive dialog for the project as well on top of working on other projects during that time.

What is the current state of the game industry? Is it still growing despite the economic slowdown?

Historically, the game industry has done quite well during downturns. People tend to look for distractions from reality and immerse themselves in all forms of entertainment. This time definitely feels different as the slowdown lingers on and works its way into every business, including games. Game companies are like any other business in a recession and do whatever it takes to stay solvent. Streamlining their staffs, sticking with proven franchises and keeping an eye on their bottom line are solid business practices that get them through the hard times. It’s hard to say from my perspective whether the industry is growing but I’m personally feeling the effects and have had to shift gears as well.

Is there still a strong demand for original music?

You bet! Even if a game is utilizing licensed music from established artists, it will still need original music for the opening sequence and front end, menu screens and cinematics. Most games rely on original music from start to finish to establish a unique brand identity, provide the appropriate mood and pacing and help propel the story, for example. So, there is most definitely a strong demand.

Do game soundtracks use full songs?

Certainly. Opening and credit sequences and gameplay are typical areas in a game that can use fully crafted songs. These longer sequences often benefit from the journey a full song can provide. A lot of it though, depends on the needs of the game and how much physical storage space is available for the entire project. One of the ‘tricks’ to save space is to create loops which provide the illusion of a longer piece of music without being too repetitive – so there is often a good amount of loops as well.

How can songwriters break into the game industry?

Believe it or not, getting into the games industry as a creative entity is pretty much like getting into any other industry. You need to have knowledge of the industry, be proficient with your craft, have appropriate business, marketing and networking skills and the absolute will to succeed.

Speaking specifically about the game industry, there are books like my two, “The Complete Guide to Game Audio” and “Game Audio Development”, which go into the industry in great detail. Check out websites like Gamasutra.com, GameAudioForum.com and GameAudioPros on Yahoo! Groups for industry news and specialized forum discussions.

Spend some time in retail stores to see what types of games are popular on the market. Play as many as you can and study their use of music and sound as part of the experience. Attend industry events such as the Game Developers Conferences, SIGGRAPH and E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo). Get involved with organizations such as The Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.) and the Interactive Audio Special Interest Group (IASIG) not only for industry information but great networking opportunities. Network with peers and other game development folks, artists, programmers, producers, anyone related to the game industry. Tell EVERYONE about your intentions and market, market, market – make everything a opportunity to market your talents.

I read in your book that you have to love games to write music for them. With that said, does it make sense for non-gamers to even try?

Well, yes and no. Composers and sound designers who are avid gamers have a much better chance understanding how audio enhances a game experience and the intricacies of the process to do it correctly. Anyone who’s played a game knows when the music is working and when it’s not and that’s the kind of knowledge game lovers bring to the creative table.

That’s not to say non-gamers couldn’t do a good job but most developers don’t want to, or have time, to hold their hands. It’s difficult to explain their needs sometimes and having the experience will really be a plus for them and make the composers life less frustrating.

Consider this for a moment. An experienced ‘film’ composer decides to take a leap into games. They’ve got the talent to create top-notch music with many years of film work under their belts. They’re confident and able and may even have a shelf full of awards. But, what happens if the game they have been hired to score is utilizing interactive or adaptive audio? Films are linear in format and their predictability makes scoring for them more straight forward. Game players create their own experience – they can explore as long as they’d like, fight bad guys or run, for example. Most games are never played the exact same way twice. An ‘interactive’ score is designed to be able to keep up with the unpredictable twists and turns and if a developer has to explain all of that, it could spell game over. This common knowledge is a benefit of being a ‘gamer’.

Do you have to have a home recording studio to write music for games? If so, what sort of gear is needed to be competitive?

It’s certainly not a ‘must’ but, unless you’re writing for a live orchestra, it’ll definitely keep the costs of renting recording space down and more money in your pocket! Most game composers have a home studio setup and that can always be augmented by renting studio time when necessary.

As for gear – that all depends on the type of music you compose and record and whatever special talents you bring to the table. I scored a game a couple of months back completely on a laptop using Reason and an Axiom 25 keyboard – and for ‘electro-pop’, that was more than enough gear. Last month, we worked on a project using live drums, percussion, trumpet and guitar as well as sampled instruments. That took a full complement of real instruments, microphones, a mixing board, multi-track software, samples and a wide assortment of plug ins to do – so, you can see that it can run to both extremes as far as equipment is concerned. A typical setup is a decent computer with a capable multi-track program, a sequencer, a sampler and array of instrument samples, plug ins, an audio editor and a midi capable keyboard to compose and perform with. Anything beyond that will depend on your specific talents as a composer/musician and what you can add to be unique.

In part 2 of our interview with Aaron Marks, Aaron talks about the skills you need to be competitive, how to get jobs, and how to get paid. Please leave your thoughts in the comments.

In this final installment of my conversation with veteran songwriting consultant John Braheny, John gives advice about making a living as a solo singer-songwriter, how to maximize your songwriting output even if you have outside responsibilities such as a job and family, and the best ways to seek out and secure publishing deals. I’d like to thank John for sharing his decades of music industry experience with Serve The Song. We really appreciate your insights! – Mary Shaw

11. Is it possible for a solo singer-songwriter to make a living completely online, or is it still necessary to tour and get as much publicity as possible?

Big question and a good one. It is possible for a singer-songwriter to make a living completely online, but the odds aren’t as good and it takes a lot of work and creative marketing. You need to be able to drive potential fans to your website or wherever you’re selling your music.

Touring is one of the best ways to generate fans. There’s nothing quite as powerful as connecting with your audience in person. If they like what they experience they’ll want to take home your CD as a memory. You want them to go to your site, get on your mailing list and you want to create as much contact with them as possible. That means blogging, using Facebook, Twitter and other social media networks frequently, coming up with special deals for fans, like bonus tracks, works in progress they can have input on, discounts on merchandise and concerts etc. Even if you are touring, it’s still tough to “make a living completely.” It helps if you can find compatible sponsors for the tour.

If you’re not touring it means you have to generate income and publicity about yourself in other ways. One of those ways is to get your songs and instrumental tracks into films and TV shows, video games, commercials or for other uses that pay licensing fees and royalties. Another is to gain expertise in production and write for/with other artists.

12. Let’s talk about output for a minute. Obviously the more you write, the better you’ll get. But given the other responsibilities faced by many singer-songwriters such as day jobs, families, etc., what is a reasonable amount of output that an aspiring singer-songwriter can expect to make without going crazy? Should they aim to write one song a week, one a day, two-three a month? What’s reasonable?

What’s reasonable varies widely. All those factors you mention have variables. How supportive is your spouse? Will he/she support time for you to spend a couple of hours a night by yourself without making you feel guilty? Are you willing to allow your spouse the same consideration?

You also have to make quality time for your spouse and kids – share what you create with them so they can see/hear what that creative space you request has produced. You’ll model for them that they deserve to have their own private time to create.

As for the numbers, I’ve known people with day jobs and families who can still create a song a week and produce at least a rough demo. Others just take a whole lot longer. There’s no getting around the fact that it’s always a difficult juggle. But don’t use your family and job obligations as excuses for not writing. You can write while you’re in line at the bank, commuting, and in any number of common circumstances. Keep a digital recorder and notepad with you. I did a seminar recently and a 13-yr-old was in the front row taking quick notes on her iPhone. (Or was she texting her friends??)

13. What is the future of music publishing? Should writers aim to keep their own publishing or look for deals?

Music publishing will continue as long as there is music to be licensed and royalties to be collected. It’s just a question of whether you’re capable of exploiting your own music (finding income generating uses for it) or whether you want help with it.

The royalty collection part is extremely important because over half your income may be generated outside the U.S., which means you will need an administration deal with an experienced international administration company to collect on your behalf. In this situation you’d keep your publishing and hire an admin company for typically about 15% of what they collect.

My general advice (much more detail in the book) is to hold on to your publishing rights unless you get something very valuable in return. That might include financing and shopping master recordings, giving you advances to live on while you’re writing songs, and giving up limited publishing income (but not ownership) for someone to do film/TV placement.

Generally speaking, if you’re a writer/artist/band actively looking for a record deal, keep your publishing. You may need it as part of the deal. If you’re a songwriter only, finding a good publisher may be a good situation for you.

14. Are services like TAXI and Pump Audio still viable in light of all the recent changes in the music business?

Very much so, especially if they’re as trusted by the industry as TAXI to pre-screen the material so it’s high quality and appropriate for the requests. There are always producers and record company A&R people looking for songs and artists, managers looking for artists, film/TV music supervisors and music libraries looking for songs and instrumental tracks, and publishers looking for songs and writers. Those services can really help indie writers exploit their songs and keep the publishing in most cases.

15. What do you think about selling songs to royalty-free music providers like AudioJungle.net?

AudioJungle is an Australian company and I believe you receive a 40-70% commission from the music that they sell to users on your behalf. Generally speaking, royalty-free music means that a user pays a one-time fee and can either sell unlimited units of the same work or, depending on the contract, may use up to, say, 5000 units without additional fees.

A better deal for you is that the end user has to file a cue sheet with your Performing Rights Organization (PRO) – ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC (in the U.S.) so you’ll get paid a royalty for its continued use. One factor that will shape your decision is how valuable that piece of music is to you. If it’s an instrumental track that you don’t think you’d have another use for and you need the cash, you might go for it. If it’s a song that’s dear to your heart, you’ll probably want to maintain ownership and license it so you get an up front sync fee and “back end” payments from your PRO. This is a time when these services are evolving with varieties of new business models. As a copyright owner you can make any kind of deal you want. My advice is to read the contract very carefully, though.

In case you missed them, check out part 1 and part 2 of this interview and leave your thoughts in the comments.

This is a guest post from Cliff Goldmacher, a songwriter/engineer/producer/author and owner of recording studios in Nashville and New York City. Cliff’s articles have been published in EQ, Recording and ProSound News magazines and his eBook “The Songwriter’s Guide To Recording Professional Demos” is available as a free download from his site http://www.cliffgoldmacher.com/ebook.

For most songwriters in the early stages of their careers, the idea of being hired as a staff songwriter for a publishing company is close to the Holy Grail. It represents that most coveted prize of industry recognition and validation of your talent along with a gateway to cuts, movie placements and any one of a number of other exciting possibilities. However, keep in mind that wanting or entering into a relationship with a publisher in order to simply validate your talent is probably not the best approach. As with any business relationship, it’s essential that you, as the songwriter, understand what you’re giving up as well as what you stand to gain by signing over partial (or complete) ownership of your copyrights to a music publisher.

What is a Publishing Deal?

Let’s start at the top, in general terms, a typical publishing deal involves the assignment of some part of the ownership of your songs to a publishing company in exchange for a monthly payment known as a draw. The publisher can also provide co-writing opportunities based on their industry relationships and pitching opportunities by members of the publishing company’s staff called song pluggers. I’m aware that there are many variations on this arrangement such as no draw in exchange for giving up less ownership of your copyrights to the publisher but for the sake of this article, I’m going to paint in broad strokes.

The Pros

Listing the advantages of a publishing deal is easy as most songwriters have heard (or dreamed) of these.

1. A Draw – For a songwriter getting started in the business, it’s extremely difficult to write full time without having money to live on. The monthly draw provided by a publisher can help ease that burden. While some draws are enough to allow the writer to write full time, most are enough to, at least, make it so the writer only has to have a part-time job leaving more time for songwriting.

2. Demo Budget – Making high quality recordings of your songs is not cheap and having a publisher to put up the money for these recordings can help out quite a bit.

3. Song Pluggers – These are employees of the publishing company who are specifically charged with finding opportunities for your songs. They pitch your songs relying on their relationships with record labels, producers and artists as well as a variety of other music business decision-makers.

4. Networking/Connections – The credibility that comes from signing with established music publisher is a powerful thing. It can open doors to meetings, co-writes and countless other relationships in the industry. Also, publishers have industry-wide relationships that can provide great opportunities for a songwriter who hasn’t had the opportunity to network much on their own.

5. Validation – The validation that comes from a publishing deal is what most beginning songwriters long for. In the early stages of most songwriters’ careers, they’ve most likely written songs in obscurity and with the exception of friends and family they’ve never received praise and recognition from anyone in the industry. It can even act as a motivator to improve a writer’s work ethic and even inspiration.

The Cons

This is where I’d recommend paying close attention. I know the idea of being able to write songs and have your publisher take care of all the details is an appealing thought…but the reality is a bit less simple. Don’t kill the messenger here, but as a friend of mine once said, “They don’t call it the music ‘friend’ or the music ‘nice.’” This is a business and it helps to remember that a publisher is giving you something in order to get something.

1. Your draw & demo budget are essentially loans – The money that makes up your draw and your demo budget is money that the publisher will take back from your share as soon as your songs start generating income. More importantly, unlike a loan paid back to a bank, even after you’ve made back the money to pay the publisher for the money they’ve invested in you, they will continue to own the publishing on your song and make income from it. In most cases, this is an arrangement that lasts for the rest of your life and then some. Also, in most cases that recording that the publisher split with you or loaned you money to make is their property entirely. This translates into no master fee payment for you, the songwriter, if that recording ends up in a film or on TV.

2. You and your songs aren’t always the priority – Even though the idea of a song plugger getting your songs heard is comforting, the reality is that in most publishing companies, there are many more signed writers than there are pluggers. In other words, your songs, while the most important songs to you, are among the hundreds (actually thousands if you count the back catalogs of most publishing companies) that the overworked song pluggers have to consider for every pitch opportunity.

3. Validation is NOT enough – As a songwriter, I understand how good it feels when someone in the industry tells you they love your songs. In and of itself, this is not enough of a reason to give away your publishing. To me, the analogy would be of a guy going up to a girl in a bar and saying “You’re beautiful and you should sleep with me.” In other words, as a writer, you should work every day until you’re confident your songs are good. Use resources like song critiques, songwriting organizations and your songwriting peers to get good, constructive feedback on your material. Don’t just sign with a publisher because they tell you you’re good.

Your Options

My intention is not to discourage but rather to empower you. By not looking at a publishing deal as the only answer to your songwriting prayers, you’ll put yourself in a position to do for yourself which, ultimately, will be the most consistent and rewarding way of having a sustainable career as a songwriter. In other words, you don’t have to have a publishing deal in order to act like you have a publishing deal every single day. Here’s what I mean…

1. Be your own publisher - You don’t need an established publisher to publish your songs. It’s a relatively simple proposition to start your own publishing company through one of the performing rights organizations (ASCAP, BMI and SESAC). A simple phone call to one of these three organizations can get you started.

2. Put yourself on a regular writing schedule – If you want to be a professional songwriter, act like one. Set aside regular times to write and treat it like a job. Folks in the working world don’t skip work because they “don’t feel like it” and neither should you.

3. Demo your songs – Develop a relationship with a professional recording studio and when you’re absolutely certain you’ve got a song that’s ready for prime time, spend the money to make a broadcast-quality version suitable for a variety of uses from pitching to artists to placement in film and TV. And speaking of pitching…

4. Pitch your songs – Actively look for opportunities for your songs. It’s one thing to write a good song and have a great demo but if no one hears it, then it can’t possibly generate any income for you. This isn’t the glamorous, romantic part of the business but I promise you, the overwhelming majority of successful songwriters – even those with publishing deals and song pluggers – spend a lot of time pitching their own material. It’s tough out there and you need to do everything in your power to get your songs heard. Also, as I mentioned above, no one will make your songs a priority more than you will.

5. Network – Another less-than-pleasant reality for the gifted, introverted songwriter is that there is no substitute for the relationships you make in the industry. Get out there and meet people. This doesn’t mean you have to be fake or stay up until 3am drinking every night (unless you like that kind of thing). It does mean, however, that you have to find opportunities to interact with the decision-makers in the music industry. A few suggestions of ways to do this might be attending music conferences, songwriter festivals and some of the events sponsored by organizations like the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) or the Songwriter’s Guild of America (SGA).

6. Sign an admin deal – If you’re starting to get some cuts and placements for your songs and the subtleties of copyright law, royalty statements and licensing feel like too much to keep track of or negotiate, then consider signing with a publisher to administer your copyrights. In other words, instead of giving away ownership of 50%-100% of your copyright, give a copyright administrator 15%-25% to “mind the store” while you’re taking care of the other stuff. I promise you, if you’re making money from your songs, you’ll have no trouble at all finding an experienced publisher to administer your copyrights.

Conclusion

For the sake of simplicity, I’ve kept this article and the terms of a publishing deal very general. There are all manner of publishing deals from copyright administration all the way to full ownership of your publishing and there are reasons for and against all of these. Music publishers provide a valuable service in our industry but I think it’s important to realize that signing a publishing deal isn’t always your best option. Be absolutely certain you understand what you stand to gain (beyond the simple validation of your talent) and what you’re giving up to get it. In the world of professional songwriting, there is no one way to achieve success and, no matter what, the more you understand and can do on your own, the better off you’ll be. Good luck!

Children’s singer-songwriter and Parent’s Choice Award winner Andrea “Dre” Towey writes and performs music that resonates with children of all ages as it touches a wide range of subjects, from the dog across the street to the harrowing experience of losing a balloon. A former elementary school teacher and art educator, Dre “unleashed” her first solo album, “Chester The Dog” in 2006. Her award-winning follow up recording, “Sugar On Top”, was released in 2008. Dre shares her thoughts on writing, recording and performing children’s music in the email interview below. Learn more about Dre Towey at www.litteloomis.com

How did you get your start in music?

I entered the music business as an illustrator. I was illustrating and writing children’s books with hopes of being published when a teaching associate asked me to illustrate her cassette (did I say cassette?!). Later I wrote songs for her and eventually performed with the band. My specialty was monkey noises, ant noises (very subtle) and the shaker.

When did you start writing songs?

I began writing songs as toasts for my family on special occasions. It was kinda the family joke like, “Oh jeez, here goes Andrea again.” I was writing the words to existing tunes. Eventually I found my own sound and I still don’t know where it comes from. Then I picked up the guitar and kept practicing in front of anyone who would listen. Libraries are good places for this because it’s free to the public.

While Michelle Shocked is a clear vocal influence, who are your songwriting influences?

I am a big fan of Michelle Shocked and honored by the comparison, but the truth is I didn’t know who she was until a reviewer covered my CD and said that I sounded like her. I would say that my influences are Rickie Lee Jones, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks and more recently, Sheryl Crow and Ariel from the Little Mermaid. Ariel has red hair and I really like her shell bikini and man, does she have pipes!

What made you decide to focus on children’s music?

The music just happened as I taught and as I had children. It wasn’t like, should I do this or should I do that. Any decision I made regarding my music happened because it felt right, it felt natural and it felt good.

How is writing songs for kids different from writing for adults?

Don’t know. I never write for anyone but myself. Maybe it’s easier for me to connect to my inner child than my inner adult. More recently though I do like to have a couple songs that the kids can follow along during live performances. I think this is same for adults. People, in general, want to relate and sing along to songs. A simple catchy chorus can define a song.

What is your songwriting process? How do you go from initial idea to finished track?

It usually starts with something a child says or does that either hits me or triggers a personal memory. It can start with a phrase and I usually play with it until the melody reflects the imagery of the song. I don’t usually complete a song until I have to – I can’t tell you how many beginnings are on my laptop.

Do you own any type of home recording setup?

Amateur set up. Things I get frustrated with. Not a tech person at all.

How do your songs change once you hit the studio? Do you work with other musicians and/or a producer?

My songs burst when I hit the studio because recording and playing with other artists is the most exciting part for me. Most of the time I like them better, there have been only a couple of occasions when I didn’t put a track on an album.

Are your live shows different from your recordings? In other words, do you play solo or with a band? Is there a different vibe?

My live performances are more interactive than my recordings. Considering my age group they have to be. Sometimes I play solo, or with a percussionist and other times the whole band. It’s always a different vibe catered toward the audience at that given moment.

Where do you find inspiration?

Obviously, children inspire me. Usually I am inspired when I have a quiet moment and I am taking time to listen. Nature inspires me. Dogs inspire me. Humor inspires me.

How often do you write? Do you have a set writing schedule?

I am writing all the time. Not physically at my desk but constantly churning ideas and recording them (even if it’s just on my voicemail). No schedule unless I have a deadline.

Where do you think children’s music fits in to the larger music industry?

Children are born all the time. Why not make more music? They are the perfect audience. It’s been going on a long time, Woodie Guthrie, the Beatles – they got it. It’s not a new thing and believe me there is a lot out there, good and bad and really bad.

Have your albums sold well? How do you promote them?

Ah marketing. My nemesis. Just tackling that now. This interview should boost sales, right?

What are your future plans?

A third CD is pending, a couple of video shoots (I can’t wait!), and I plan to open an intergalactic studio for kids and adults based on Mars with spaceship carpools. Just kidding. How about one in SoNo, CT??? I am going to call it JAM, an acronym for Junior Art & Music. Seriously, come visit me this September.

Listen to Dre Towey’s music at http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/DreTowey